


Rich Pines

by ZoneRobotnik



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Rich Pines AU, casual manipulation, money can make a big difference in everything, rich kids hanging out, rich people are scary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23998180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: In the year 2012, the illustrious Pines family sends their two children to Gravity Falls to spend the summer with their Great-Uncle Stanford Pines. What secrets and delights are waiting for them in this quiet-looking tourist town?
Relationships: (pairings are subject to change or get added onto), Bill Cipher/Dipper Pines, Gideon Gleeful/Dipper Pines, Gideon Gleeful/Mabel Pines, Pacifica Northwest/Dipper Pines
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney

There was something odd going on at the Mystery Shack. Odder than usual. For one thing, the shop hadn’t been open all week. People seeking to purchase something or go on one of his quirky tours found a “closed for construction” sign hanging up on the door with the sound of a vacuum cleaner or a hammer banging inside. They also saw the owner coming and going with his handyman with large packages that he then took inside.  
  
After day eight of not going to work, Wendy Corduroy got curious. She ignored the “closed for construction” sign and walked right in, looking around. The shop itself looked…tidier. Things that looked close to falling apart were sturdy now. The counter had been replaced. And there was an actual door for the “Employees only” door instead of a curtain. Bemused, she decided to investigate further and she opened the door. “Mr. Pines?”  
  
“Ah, Wendy! Perfect timing! I need your help! My back hurts and Soos is out getting bedding!” Her boss, Stan Pines, called.  
  
She closed the door behind her and walked over to check on him. “Whoa.” She looked around the new room. “Have you been building new rooms?”  
  
“Uh, uncovering them, actually. And also making sure the attic is top quality with not a single splinter.” The old man said as she walked in. “Help me push this dresser into place, would you?”  
  
She walked over and helped him with it. “So…what’s the occasion?”  
  
“My great-niblings are coming to stay with me for the summer.” He groaned as he cracked his back into place. “Ow.”  
  
“That’s cool, but why all the prep?” Wendy asked. “Why are you making everything so…” She looked around. “Uh…fancy? Seriously, how much did you spend on this stuff?”  
  
Stan cringed. “Probably more than I can earn back in a year, but I can’t have anything low quality. You see, Wendy, my niblings are—”  
  
“Mr. Pines! I’m back! Also, there’s a limo pulling up outside!” Their handyman, Soos, said as he walked in with the bedding still packaged.  
  
“Already?!” Stan checked a clock on the wall. “Oh, Hot Belgian Waffles, it’s already time! Soos, Wendy, can you finish making the beds? There’s one here and one in the attic. I gotta go greet them at the door!” He checked himself over in the mirror and then ran out.  
  
“…So…I’ll take the attic.” Wendy took one set of the bedding and headed out of the room.  
  
\--  
  
“If that sign is not misleading, this is the place.” A man said calmly as he looked out the window of the limo. Then he looked at the two children with him. “I will go in and make sure it is satisfactory, and then I will come and bring you in.” He nodded to the driver, who got out to the open the door for them.  
  
The children, a twin boy and girl duo, nodded and watched him leave. He looked back as the door was closed again and saw them talking amongst themselves. Nodding, he walked on to the door of the “Mystery Shack” and knocked twice.  
  
It took a few moments but then it was opened, and his uncle Stan looked out at him, looking a bit out of breath. “Alexander, you’re here! Sorry about the wait, I expected you at the _other_ door!”  
  
“I was not aware that there _was_ one. No matter; show me around. I must inspect it to ensure they will be comfortable here.” Alexander Pines said calmly.  
  
Stan nodded and led him through the gift shop. “Ah, don’t mind all this. Gotta make a living, hehe.”  
  
“I do hope you are not intending to make my children work in this…” He paused, rotating his wrist as he searched for a suitable word.  
  
“Giftshop. It’s a giftshop. And, uh, no. I wouldn’t do that to them. I figured they could explore the town while I worked.” He opened the “Employees only” door and led him through. “Okay, so here’s the kitchen slash break room, where we’ll be having our meals.” He gestured around them. “The cupboards and fridge are well-stocked, and there’s a few restaurants in town if they want something else.”  
  
“Hm.” Alexander checked the cupboards and the fridge before turning to him. “Let’s move on.”  
  
Stan nodded and led him through. “Here are the stairs that lead up to the second floor, where one of the bedrooms is. The other one is right here.” He opened a door and looked in, looking relieved for a moment. Alexander followed him in and looked around.  
  
Everything looked suspiciously brand-new, he noted. No matter, he wouldn’t say anything. As long as his children were comfortable, it was fine. He looked around and tested the fixtures in the bathroom before heading for the door. “The upstairs one, now.”  
  
“The upstairs bedroom doesn’t have its own bathroom, I’m afraid, so they’ll have to decide who gets which one.” Stan said as he led him to the stairs.  
  
Alexander paused when he noticed two people standing in the hallway. “Are they the help?”  
  
“Uh, they’re my staff.” Stan explained. “But, I’m sure they’d be happy to help the kids with _anything_ , right?” He looked at them.  
  
“Yes, sir, Mr. Pines!” One of them said enthusiastically.  
  
“Do I get a raise?” The teenage girl asked.  
  
“…Sure.” Stan nodded.  
  
“Yeah, okay.” Wendy nodded.  
  
Stan nodded again. “Great. Uhm, Alexander, the bedroom up here…”  
  
Alexander nodded and followed him upstairs.  
  
He showed him around the area, which was mostly the bedroom – equally brand-new as the first one – and a landing with a window that had a seat in front of it.   
  
“I’m sure Mason will find _something_ to do with this area.” Alexander said thoughtfully.  
  
“Yeah, he’s a pretty creative kid.” Stan nodded, and then led him down to the living room. He’d clearly replaced most of the furniture, aside from his favorite armchair, and Alexander paused to examine the fish-tank with an axolotl inside.  
  
“Well, it appears to be suitable. Not exactly five-star, but it will do.” He turned to Stan. “Wait in the giftshop with your…staff. I will bring in my children.” He turned and walked to the shop, with Stan walking over to talk to his staff.  
  
Once outside, he took a deep breath and then released it. If he had it his way, he wouldn’t bring them here at all. However, his wife had _insisted_ on the children spending some extra time with her beloved uncle before he passed away and he would do _anything_ for her.  
  
He walked over to the car and the driver opened the door for him. “It is satisfactory. Come inside, I will have the driver bring your bags.”  
  
The twins put away their portable chess game and Mason put it in his bag before he stepped out first, his sister Mabel following after. He looked around for a few moments before turning to his father. “Lead the way, father.”  
  
Alexander nodded and led them to the giftshop. The door opened with a cheery little jingle and he stepped inside, holding the door open for them to walk in, followed by the driver with their bags.  
  
“Welcome, kids!” Stan greeted cheerfully.  
  
“Grunkle Stan!” Mabel greeted cheerfully, walking forward to hug him.  
  
“Is this a shop?” Mason asked, looking around.  
  
“It’s my giftshop, the Mystery Shack.” Stan explained. “These are my staff, Wendy Corduroy and Soos Ramirez. They’ll be helping you out if you need anything.” He gestured to them.  
  
“’Sup, hambone?” Soos held out his fist.  
  
Mason stared at it before raising an eyebrow. Soos moved his hand back awkwardly.  
  
“I guess you don’t do fist-bumps or high-fives?” Wendy asked, demonstrating by bumping her fist against Soos’s.  
  
“No, but it looks fun!” Mabel said cheerfully, holding up her fist. Wendy grinned and bumped her fist against hers.  
  
“I’d like to see my room now.” Mason said, turning to his uncle.  
  
“Oh, of course, yeah. Uhm, there’s actually two different rooms. One of them has an attached bathroom, but the other doesn’t, so—”  
  
“Mabel will have the attached bathroom.” He smiled at his sister. “You have a greater need for it, dear sister.”  
  
She smiled at him. “Show us to our rooms, please?”  
  
“Right this way!” Stan went to the “Employees only” door and opened it, leading them through. “Mabel, your room is over here. Mason, your room is upstairs.” He opened the door to her bedroom and Mabel went in, followed by the driver. Then the driver came back alone and Stan led them upstairs to Mason’s room.  
  
“Here’s your room, and there’s a big open space here for whatever you—”  
  
“I require bookshelves. I will build a library here.” Mason declared, looking around. “Perhaps also a table and chairs for tea time, or simply to read at.” He turned to the window. “…Is this town associated with the Illuminati?”  
  
“With the what?” Stan asked.  
  
“The Eye of Providence is all over this building and I saw it other places on the way in.” Mason said, walking into his bedroom and looking around. The driver set down his bag and then left to go and get any others. He walked over and sat on the bed, looking around. “Here, too.” He commented, looking at the window. “I will require curtains.”  
  
“I’ll get them.” Stan assured him.  
  
The driver came back and set down more suitcases before bowing and leaving again. Mason looked around once more before nodding. “It will do. Leave me.” He turned to start unpacking his suitcase. “I will call for you if I require anything.”  
  
“Alright, let’s head back downstairs.” Stan said, heading out of the room.  
  
“When you are finished, come downstairs.” Alexander told him as they all followed him out.  
  
\--  
  
Mason looked over at them as Stan closed the door behind them all and then opened his suitcase. So far, the place seemed…decent enough. He started to unpack his books first, what he could fit on the bookshelves, and resolved to get that library set up as soon as possible even if he had to buy the bookshelves himself. Then he moved on to his clothes, and he decided he would also need another dresser. He filled the dresser and the closet and left what he couldn’t put away right now in the suitcase. Finally, he pulled out his school laptop and set it on the bed, looking around thoughtfully. Yes, he would need to get a desk in here. He didn’t blame the man for not anticipating all his needs, and it was easily rectified.  
  
He left his laptop on the bed for later and stowed away the suitcases in the closet before heading back downstairs.  
  
Mabel stepped out as he reached the bottom of the stairs and smiled, taking his hand before they headed out to the kitchen where the others were all gathered. When they arrived, they stopped and let go of each other before Mason spoke. “Father, we’re finished with our unpacking.”  
  
“Well, then it is time that I return.” He walked over and placed his large hands on their small shoulders. “Take care of each other, and call if there is any trouble. I will be checking in weekly, Mason. Keep your phone charged.”  
  
“Yes, father.” Mason nodded.  
  
“Daddy?” Mabel held out her hands. He smiled and knelt down so she could hug him. “Be safe going back, okay?”  
  
“I will inform you when I arrive safely at home.” Their father assured her, rubbing her head affectionately. Then he stood up and she reluctantly let go before he turned to Stan. “Keep them safe. I am trusting you and your staff to their care.”  
  
“Of course. And they’ll have a great time here, don’t worry!” Stan smiled. “Want me to walk you to the door?”  
  
“Yes.” Their father turned and walked to the giftshop, Stan following him.  
  
After the door closed behind them, Mason turned to Wendy and Soos. “Where do _you_ sleep here?”  
  
“Dude, we don’t live here. We come in to work.” Wendy chuckled a bit.  
  
“Huh. What time do you arrive, then?” He asked.  
  
“Usually…like…I guess the shop opens at around noon, so…ten o’clock?” She shrugged.  
  
“Sometimes I come by sooner, in case Mr. Pines needs any help!” Soos said cheerfully.  
  
“I see.” Mason looked thoughtful. “So…Wendy, was it?”  
  
“Yeah.” She nodded.  
  
“Are _you_ going to be assisting my sister with her bathing and dressing?” He looked at Mabel.  
  
“Oh…oh, man. I was _wondering_ why all the questions.” Wendy laughed a bit. “Look, uhm…”  
  
“Mason. Mason Pines, and this is Mabel.” Mason looked back at her. “I suppose that you would not be referring to me as ‘young master’?”  
  
“I mean, I _could_.” Soos commented. “Did you want me to?”  
  
“Uh, no.” Wendy shook her head at Soos, then looked at Mason again. “Look, we don’t really _do_ that here. This isn’t a _mansion_ , it’s just a house. You do all your _own_ bathing and dressing.”  
  
“It’s a new experience!” Mabel said optimistically.  
  
“Maaaaah.”  
  
Mabel’s eyes went wide and she turned around. “Mason. There’s a goat in the house. _A goat_.”  
  
He turned around as well. “…Where did _you_ come from?”  
  
“Oh, that’s Mr. Pines’ goat Gompers!” Soos said cheerfully. “He goes wherever he wants.”  
  
“I was not informed about the goat.” Mason said, eyeing it warily.  
  
“You don’t have allergies, do you?” Soos asked worriedly.  
  
“No…just…I was not informed about the goat.” Mason turned back to them. “I was told that you would be helping us with anything we needed. What does that entail, exactly?”  
  
“Dude, what does ‘entail’ even mean?” Wendy asked.  
  
Mason sighed heavily while his sister giggled. “ _Please_ define what he meant by ‘helping’.”  
  
“Oh, well, like you needed a tour around town, I guess, or if one of you gets stuck on the roof or whatever.” Wendy shrugged. “You know, basic helping stuff.”  
  
Mason gave her an exasperated look. “And yet, it differs greatly from what I have been told staff do to ‘help’.”  
  
“Look, if your sister really can’t bathe or dress herself, I’ll come in earlier to help, alright? Mr. Pines already promised me a raise so I guess I gotta earn it, right?” Wendy sighed heavily. “Do _you_ need any help?”  
  
“It would be appreciated.” Mason replied curtly.  
  
“Alright, then I guess I’ll help you, too.” Wendy shrugged. “But, I’m expecting a big raise for it.”  
  
“That can be arranged, even if I must pay you myself.” He nodded.  
  
“Great. I’ll help you when I’m not working the shop, alright? You guys need anything right now?” Wendy asked.  
  
“I’ll help, too! But not for a raise, I just really want to help out Mr. Pines and his family. He’d never really mentioned you, so this is a big surprise!” Soos chimed in.  
  
“The surprise is a mutual feeling. No, I do not need anything at present.” He pulled out his phone. “Do you have a cell-phone?”  
  
“Yep.” Wendy pulled out her phone.  
  
Mason took it and started typing on it. “I’m going to put your number in my phone and mine into yours. Mabel, would you like me to add yours?”  
  
“I would!” She took out her phone. Mason finished with his and took hers, putting the numbers in, then handed it back to her before returning Wendy’s phone.  
  
“I expect you to be here tonight at eight o’clock to prepare us for bed and tomorrow at eight o’clock in the morning to help us prepare for the day.” He told her calmly. “Mabel, do you have a need for them at this present moment?”  
  
“Soos, do you have a phone?” Mabel looked at him.  
  
“Oh, uh, I _do_ , but it’s not working right. I need to get a new phone.” Soos admitted. “I’m saving up for one right now.”  
  
“That will be amended tomorrow, when we go into town. Wendy, do you have a car?” Mason looked at her.  
  
“I don’t even have a license, dude. I’m fifteen.” She grinned.  
  
“I don’t suppose you can _refrain_ from calling me ‘dude’?” Mason asked wearily.  
  
“Not gonna happen.” She shrugged, still grinning.  
  
“I have a truck!” Soos said cheerfully. “And Mr. Pines has a car!”  
  
Mason sighed. “Well, then, if there is nothing more, I would like to have some time alone to talk with my sister.”  
  
“Got it. See you later.” Wendy walked out.  
  
“You seem like some pretty cool dudes.” Soos smiled. “See you later!” He headed out after Wendy.  
  
Mason watched them go, then turned to Mabel. “That was exhausting. Let’s go upstairs and talk, go get your laptop.”  
  
“Are you going to vent on the forum?” Mabel asked teasingly.  
  
“Absolutely.” He said, heading for the stairs.  
  
Mabel giggled and went back to her room.

\--  
  
Stan stepped back into the house and sighed. According to Wendy and Soos, the kids had just arranged for them to assist them like actual servants. At least Wendy seemed to think it was funny instead of being insulted. The very idea of not being to dress or bathe yourself was baffling to her.  
  
He kind of wanted to teach the kids that essential part of life, but was there really any _point_ when they’d just be going back to it?   
  
He checked Mabel’s room and didn’t find her there, so he decided to go to Mason’s instead, knocking on the door.  
  
“Who is it?” Mason asked from inside.  
  
“It’s your Grunkle Stan.” Stan replied.  
  
“Enter.”  
  
He opened the door and stepped inside, looking around. He could see a whiteboard hanging by the window that had notes on what kind of furniture he was apparently missing. Mason and Mabel were sitting on the bed with their fancy school laptops open.  
  
“You kids busy?” He asked.  
  
“We are, but it is nothing that cannot be put to the side.” Mason said as they closed the lids and looked up at him.  
  
“I was wondering, since I’m not opening the shop today, did you want me to take you around town?” He offered.  
  
“We planned to do that tomorrow with Wendy and Soos, but…” Mason shrugged.  
  
“We’d love to go with you!” Mabel got off the bed. “Let me put my laptop away!” She headed past him, humming happily.  
  
Stan smiled after her, then looked at Mason putting his laptop on a shelf. “You know…Wendy’s dad builds things. He built this house, and the table. He can probably build you a pretty good desk. He’s the best lumberjack carpenter we have in town.”  
  
“Hm…I suppose the house is a testament to his skill. Yes, that sounds reasonable.” Mason nodded. “Can we arrange that today?”  
  
“Sure, I’ll take you over there.” Stan nodded.  
  
Mason nodded and walked past him to leave the room. “Let’s be off, then.”


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan takes the twins out shopping and they meet a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney XD

“Hey, Mason?” Stan asked as they drove to town in his red Diablo. “Wendy told me about your arrangement. You don’t need her to come and help you with the bedtime stuff, I can handle that.”  
  
“Very well, I will inform her that she does not need to attend to us at night.” Mason said, pulling out his phone.  
  
“Country roads are so _bumpy_!” Mabel said as the car made another jolt.  
  
“Heh, yeah.” Stan nodded. “So, uh…what kind of things do you like? I think I remember you like golfing, there’s a mini-golf park here. There’s also an arcade, a mall, fancy restaurants I can’t afford to eat at, but _you_ might be able to…”  
  
“Is there a library?” Mason asked.  
  
“Oh yeah, and a museum!” He screeched to a stop to let an animal cross the road, then drove on.  
  
“What’s that mansion we saw driving in here?” Mabel asked.  
  
“That’s where the rich kids live. Well, ‘kid’, I should say. The Northwests only have one daughter, Pacifica Northwest. She’s…uh…” He faltered.  
  
“Rich and acts like it?” Mason asked with an air of amusement.  
  
“Yes.” Stan nodded.  
  
He wouldn’t admit it, but he was _going_ to say “a lot like you” and stopped himself.  
  
“You might get along with her.” He decided to finish with.  
  
\--  
  
They dropped by the Corduroy home first. Wendy wasn’t home, but her father “Manly” Dan Corduroy was and Stan waited while Mason and Mabel brought out a sketchbook she had brought along to order the extra furniture they wanted. Payment was discussed and he could swear he’d never seen Dan’s eyes get as big as they did the moment Mason pulled out that amount _in cash_ right from his wallet.  
  
Rich people, wow.  
  
“I’ll start work on it right now!” Dan declared, and they left the sketchbook with him for reference before heading out.  
  
The next stop, Mabel’s request, was the mall. Stan followed behind the two of them as they eagerly looked at every single store, talking excitedly about what they wanted to buy.  
  
“I didn’t realize it was Senior’s Sale Day.” A girl sneered as they passed by a clothing store.  
  
Mason and Mabel stopped and looked over as Stan cringed. Blonde girl wearing purple and white walked up to Stan, apparently not noticing them yet. “Or, are you _actually_ going to tell me that you’re going to buy _anything_ in this mall?” She went on.  
  
“Oh, he’s not.” Mason said, catching her attention. “ _We_ are.” He walked over and extended a hand with a pleasant smile. “Mason and Mabel Pines, his great-niece and nephew. _You_ must be Pacifica.”  
  
“And _you_ look _way_ too rich to be related to him.” She took his hand and shook it.  
  
“Well, our father _is_ the CEO of a rather profitable company. Our finances have nothing to do with our uncle.” Mason assured her, releasing her hand.  
  
“Why are you _here_ , then?” She asked.  
  
“Our mother wanted us to spend some time with him.” Mason shrugged. “Mabel?” He turned to her.  
  
She stepped forward and held out a hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you! My name is Mabel Pines!”  
  
“An unexpected pleasure to meet you.” Pacifica grinned. “How about you ditch him and go on a shopping spree with me? I can have my limo take you home.”  
  
“Grunkle Stan?” Mabel looked at him.  
  
“Go on and have fun. I got things to do, anyway.” Stan assured them. “See you when you get home.”   
  
“Be safe on the road!” She said cheerfully.  
  
Stan turned and walked off, waving as he went.  
  
“Ready?” Pacifica asked with a grin.  
  
Mabel nodded. “Let’s shop!”  
  
Mason chuckled as he followed his sister and Pacifica into the store again. He noticed that she had a servant standing by to carry her bags and thought about his own back home.  
  
“Where do you get your servants?” He asked her.  
  
“Huh?” She looked at her servant, then at him. “We hire them, usually from out of town. We tried hiring one of the locals once and…well, it didn’t go well. My father swore ‘never again’.”  
  
“What happened?” Mabel asked.  
  
“We caught them stealing priceless artifacts.” Pacifica sighed.  
  
“My father would’ve had them severely punished for that. What did yours do?” Mason asked.  
  
“We handed him off to Gideon’s father to deal with.” Pacifica shrugged.  
  
“Who’s Gideon?” Mabel asked.  
  
“My younger cousin.” Pacifica smiled. “He’s a sweetheart.”  
  
“Pacifica!” Mabel walked over to her. “Come look at this dress with me!”  
  
“Okay!” Pacifica laughed and followed her.  
  
Mason looked thoughtful, pulling out his phone, then walked over to join them. “Pacifica, would you say that Wendy Corduroy is trustworthy?”  
  
“I mean, as trustworthy as _any_ teenager, I suppose.” She shrugged. “Why?”  
  
“I hired her to assist us with preparing for the day, but I am unsure if that was a wise choice.” Mason admitted.  
  
“She already works for your uncle.” Pacifica smiled. “I don’t think you have to worry about her. Now, which of these two jackets should I buy?”  
  
He walked over and looked them over, then grabbed a third color. “This one.”  
  
Pacifica looked at it. “Of course, why didn’t _I_ think of that?! You’re so smart.” She grinned and put it in her basket. “Hey, why don’t you two come over and meet my parents? We can have lunch in my family garden.”  
  
“That sounds wonderful!” Mabel looked at Mason.  
  
He shrugged. “Alright, we can do that.”  
  
Pacifica beamed and then they went back to their shopping.  
  
“See anything you like?” Mabel asked him as they looked around.  
  
“Not in this store, no.” He shrugged. “This is mostly girl’s clothes and jewelry.”  
  
“Well, I found something I think will suit you.” Pacifica walked over to him and grinned, holding up a golden pin of a pine tree. “A pine tree for a Pines!”  
  
He rolled his eyes but didn’t object to her pinning it on his vest. “I suppose it looks decent enough.”   
  
Pacifica nodded and adjusted the pin for a bit longer, making sure it was straight, before she stepped back. “I like it.”  
  
He smiled at it. “So do I.”  
  
\--  
  
After visiting every store in town, with the servant taking their purchases to the limo between each one before joining them at the next store, they made their way to the limo and headed off for Northwest Manor.  
  
“So, what’s _your_ mansion like?” Pacifica asked curiously.  
  


“Big. Fancy. Lots of servants, and a dungeon for those that cross the line. We’re pretty much above the law in that town, and practically royalty.” Mason grinned. “I particularly enjoy punishing any stalkers or kidnappers that dare to touch my sister.”  
  
“I bet they regret it.” Pacifica nodded.  
  
“Oh, absolutely.” Mason chuckled.  
  
“What about private tutors?” Pacifica asked.  
  
“We go to Fitzburger Way Escalator School, and Mason is the top student there!” Mabel said, smiling at him. “Anyone that crosses us is swiftly punished by the staff, and _they_ are constantly checked on to make sure there is no wrongdoing by our father.”  
  
“Sounds amazing.” Pacifica smiled. “I have private tutors, but my cousin goes to public school.”  
  
“You keep mentioning your cousin, where is he?” Mabel asked curiously.  
  
“He’s out of town on tour right now. He’s a traveling magician.” Pacifica explained. “I know, not exactly what you’d _expect_ …”  
  
“Well, our great-uncle is running a tourist attraction, so…” Mason shrugged.  
  
They pulled up to tall, imposing gates that opened for them before closing behind them. After the limo stopped, the driver opened the door for them and Pacifica got out, followed by her two guests.  
  
Mabel smoothed out her long skirt and looked around, while Mason adjusted his bangs a bit. She smiled and nudged him. “Don’t worry about it.” She whispered.  
  
“Come on, I’ll introduce you to my parents.” Pacifica smiled and led them up to the door. The servant walked ahead of them and bowed before opening the door. Mabel smiled at him as they passed and Mason noticed the servant, who looked around eighteen, blushed a bit. He sighed, knowing that this was going to be an interesting summer if his sister kept charming every guy she smiled at.  
  
“Welcome home, Pacifica!” A man approached them. “Did you have a good outing? Who are these two?”  
  
“These two are Mason and Mabel Pines. They’re visiting their great-uncle Stan Pines for the summer.” Pacifica introduced. “Their family is very rich. Mason, Mabel, this is my father; Preston Northwest.”  
  
“Very rich, you say?” Preston asked.  
  
“Our father is the CEO and Founder of Modernism Tech. He _was_ co-founder but, after his partner passed away, he gained all of his assets in the company.” Mason explained calmly.  
  
“Modernism Tech? Not the computer company slash weapons manufacturer company that is worth billions?” Preston asked in awe.  
  
“Among other technologies we produce, yes. And _I_ am his heir.” Mason said with a smug smile.  
  
“Well! Welcome, make yourself at home! Whatever you need, just ask! Pacifica, why don’t you show them the garden? I’ll have the butler bring you some treats!” He said, nodding to her.  
  
“Of course, father. Come on.” Pacifica smiled at Mason and Mabel and led the way past Preston.  
  
“Moderism Tech…so much money and power…” They heard Preston saying to himself.  
  
“Uh oh, I sense an arranged marriage.” Mabel said teasingly.  
  
“Only if he can get father to approve.” Mason smirked.  
  
Pacifica giggled a bit. “He’s going to try.”  
  
“And what do _you_ feel about that?” Mabel asked.  
  
“I only just met you, so I can’t really say. I suppose I could do worse, though.” Pacifica shrugged.  
  
Mason laughed.  
  
\--  
  
“Indulge my curiosity, but you said that your uncle is Stanford Pines?” Preston asked after he joined them in the garden with his wife Priscilla.  
  
“He’s my mother’s uncle, and _very far removed_ from the family fortune, if you get what I mean.” Mason smirked a bit.  
  
“Oh, yes, of course. We have one of those ourselves.” Preston nodded. “My sister married a conman that sells used cars.”  
  
“’Used’ is a generous term. They’re falling apart, and he uses my cousin’s natural charm to get people to buy his crappy wares.” Pacifica explained.  
  
“Sounds unpleasant.” Mason sipped at his tea.  
  
“I pity my poor sister.” Preston nodded.  
  
“Enough about them, what is your mother like?” Priscilla asked.  
  
Mabel took over the conversation then, eagerly singing her mother’s praises. “Our mother is a party planner and gives the _best_ parties and she has a beautiful singing voice and she taught us to dance and to play instruments and she loves animals and gives the _best_ hugs and—”  
  
Mason sipped at his drink, giving Pacifica an amused “here we go again” smile.  
  
“—she always knows just what to say to make your day better even if you’ve had the _worst_ day, and she can always get Daddy to smile and convince him to put down his work and relax with us – I think she can sense when he’s reaching his limit. Our great-grandmother was psychic, I heard, maybe she got a bit of it?”  
  
“Our great-grandmother was a _phone_ psychic, we don’t know if she really _was_ a psychic.” Mason corrected.  
  
“Well, Grandfather Sherman said that she was a psychic, so I’m going to believe him.”   
  
“It hasn’t been scientifically proven that psychics are even real.” Mason said, shaking his head with a smile.  
  
“Oh, they’re real.” Pacifica assured him. “My cousin is one.”  
  
“Is he now?” Mason looked at her.  
  
“Yes, he can see the future and move things with his mind and read minds.” Pacifica nodded. “That’s actually what he’s been doing in his shows.”  
  
“It’s all smoke and mirrors, though, isn’t it?” He sipped at his drink.  
  
Pacifica giggled. “I’ll take you to his show when he gets back into town and you’ll see for yourself.”  
  
“It’s a date.” Mason smirked at her.  
  
\--  
  
“Thank you for the lovely time.” Mabel said as they stepped out of the limo. “We greatly enjoyed the visit, and the shopping trip. I couldn’t have _imagined_ that I’d make a friend on my first day here!”  
  
“Text me if you need anything, okay?” Pacifica smiled. “Even if it’s just a spare servant to attend to you.”  
  
“Thank you, I will let you know if we need that.” Mason nodded. “You have a pleasant night, Pacifica.”  
  
She grinned and waved as they walked to the door. It opened to let them in and Mabel gave one more enthusiastic wave as they walked in.  
  
“Did you have fun?” Stan sked as he locked the door behind them.  
  
“We did!” Mabel nodded.  
  
“Great. Dinner’s on the table; you didn’t eat over there, did you?” Stan asked as he led the way to the kitchen.  
  
“They did offer, I told them ‘perhaps another time’.” Mason smiled. “Our first dinner in this town must be with our family, after all.”  
  
“Well, it’s not going to be anything _too_ fancy. I’m not a mansion chef.” Stan went to the stove to fill their plates. “But, I hope you like mac and cheese.”  
  
“What do you know of Gideon?” Mason asked curiously.  
  
“Gideon? Gideon Gleeful?” Stan set down their plates and forks. “Juice or milk?”  
  
“Milk, please.” Mabel smiled.  
  
“Juice.” Mason replied. “I didn’t get his last name.”  
  
“He’s my business rival, lives down the hill from us in that blue house next to the car lot.” Stan said as he went to get their drinks. “He’s nine years old and a spoi—uh, he’s kind of self-centered. He’ll be ten this Summer.” He poured the drinks then brought them over for them before going to get his own food. “Why do you ask?”  
  
“Pacifica said that he is a psychic.” Mason said before taking a polite bite of his food.  
  
“Well, that’s his gimmick. I personally think he’s a fraud, but the town loves him.” Stan shrugged. “I suspect you’ll run into him sometime this summer. Small town, you know?” He sat down with his food and drink. “If you do, though, be careful. People have a hard time refusing him anything, usually. It takes a titanium will like my own to actually tell him no.”  
  
“I will keep that in mind.” Mason nodded.  
  
“What do you think of Pacifica?” Mabel asked with a grin.  
  
“Pacifica? She’s…uh…” Stan made an unsure motion. “Why?”  
  
“Her father is making plans to make her part of our family.” Mabel giggled. “He asked Mason for father’s number today.”  
  
“Did you give it?” Stan asked.  
  
“I told him that I wanted to get to know her a little more before we got to _that_ point and he would meet our father when he came to pick us up at the end of the summer.” Mason said before taking a bite of his food.  
  
“Probably for the best.” Stan nodded. “That family’s pretty rotten.”  
  
“One could say the same about ours.” Mason shrugged.  
  
They continued the meal with casual discussion about their day went and then Stan gathered up the dishes to wash them after they were done.  
  
“So, uh, which of you kids want me to help them get ready for bed first?” Stan asked, turning to them after he finished with the dishes.  
  
“Ladies first.” Mason gestured to Mabel.  
  
She smiled and headed off to her room, Stan following. He paused at the door and looked at Mason. “You know…it’s big enough, I think. You wanna just save time and bathe with her?”  
  
Mason looked surprised at the suggestion. “…Is that a thing that commoners do?”  
  
“I mean, some do it.” Stan shrugged. “I used to bathe with my brother all the time.”  
  
“Yes, but Grandfather Sherman was most likely _bathing_ you.” Mason looked at Mabel. “What say you, sister?”  
  
“I think it’s a new experience!” Mabel said excitedly. “Let’s do it!”  
  
Mason chuckled. “Alright, then. I will go to my room and collect my nightclothes and join you shortly.”  
  
Stan smiled and then followed Mabel to go pick out her clothes.  
  
\--  
  
Stan had to admit, the kids had grown since he’d seen them last. It had only been a few years, but they were clearly developing. He was starting to question if having them bathe together was a good idea after helping Mabel get undressed, but the way she playfully splashed her brother once they were in made his old eyes light up with joy.  
  
“Ah! Mabel, come on!” Mason protested, scooting back a bit.  
  
“Splash back! I saw this in a movie once!” Mabel giggled.  
  
“That was at a _beach_ , not in the _bath_!” He shook his head.  
  
“Alright, silly, let’s get your hair washed.” Stan said, grabbing the shampoo. “Wow, it’s gotten long.”  
  
“You couldn’t tell before?” She asked, looking up at him.  
  
“It was in a braid before.” Stan shrugged as he started to lather it up in her hair. Then he picked up a bucket, scooped up water with it and then carefully poured it over her hair.   
  
Mabel covered her face with her hands to prevent shampoo-y water or hair getting in her eyes and peeked out at him by moving one finger to the side after he moved the bucket away. “All done?”  
  
“For now.” Stan chuckled and picked up a washcloth and started to wash her body. “Sorry it’s not the high-quality stuff you’re used to.”  
  
“It has ducks on it!” Mabel squealed.  
  
Stan smiled and then used the bucket to rinse her off before he moved on to her brother, lathering up his hair while he covered his face with his hands and then rinsing it off. “It’s a good thing you kids are doing this before you get much older.”  
  
“Why is that?” Mabel asked.  
  
“Well, it might be weird as you get older, I guess.” Stan shrugged. “Bodies start developing, reacting in weird ways…”  
  
“Why?” Mabel asked. “We’re siblings.”  
  
Stan stammered. “Let’s change the subject.” He focused on cleaning Mason’s body.  
  
“I don’t think we have anything to worry about.” Mason assured him. “I do not see my sister like that, even if some twisted brothers that are like that _do_ exist.”  
  
“Heh, yeah. You’re right, I got nothing to worry about with you kids.” Stan rinsed him off, then pulled the plug out before going to get towels. “Alright, who first?”  
  
“Ladies first.” Mason reminded him.  
  
Stan went over to help Mabel out of the bath and dry her off while Mason waited patiently in the draining tub. Once she was wrapped up snug in a towel, he helped Mason out and wrapped him up too before focusing on drying them both off and dressing them one by one.   
  
Once they were dressed, Mabel gave him a hug. “Read me a bedtime story?”  
  
“I will be waiting in my room.” Mason said, heading for the hallway.  
  
“Alright, what do you want me to read?” Stan smiled at her.  
  
Mabel smiled and skipped back to her room, Stan following behind her.  
  
Not bad for a first day, he thought. And they had a whole summer to see what the future would bring…provided they didn’t find out about his dark secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their first day and they've already made a friend. How nice!


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mason finds a mysterious book in the woods and Mabel catches the eye of a local guy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney

“Rise and shine, squirt!”  
  
Who in the world would _dare_ to refer to him in such a…casual way?! Mason cracked open one eye and slowly raised his head to see a red-haired teenager in his room.   
  
Right…Gravity Falls. Wendy. He had hired her to help him get dressed in the morning. He slowly sat up and she walked over to pull his blanket off to encourage him to get up faster.  
  
“Come on, I gotta get you washed and dressed and fed and then out the door before the shop opens. Soos has your sister covered, your uncle’s taking care of breakfast.” She tapped a non-existent watch on her wrist. “Let’s _go_ , Mason.”  
  
He sighed and climbed out of bed before picking out his clothes and following her to the bathroom closest to his room. There, she bathed and dressed him and combed his hair until he was satisfied and then they went out to join the others downstairs in the kitchen.  
  
“I’m going to need Wendy and Soos to help me in the shop today, so you kids just wander in town and see the sights, call if you need anything. There’s a bus you can take, or you can walk it.” Stan said as he served them all pancakes. “Maybe you can ask Pacifica to give you a ride again.”  
  
“I was actually thinking of exploring the forest.” Mason commented. “I thought I saw something last night and I wanted to look into that.”  
  
The three locals exchanged glances before Stan looked at him. “Don’t go too far into those woods. They can get pretty spooky.”  
  
“I will be perfectly fine.” Mason assured him.  
  
“I’ll be with him!” Mabel assured him.  
  
“I’m worried about the _both_ of you.” Stan frowned.  
  
“We’ll be fine.” Mason smiled. “Don’t worry.”  
  
\--  
  
“It’s certainly different from any of the woods we’ve been in before.” Mabel said as they walked down the path.  
  
“If you mean that this is more unkempt than a national park, then I suppose you would be correct.” Mason said, looking around.  
  
“Look, that area is so colorful and shiny!” She pointed to a section of the woods away from the beaten path.  
  
“It is.” Mason stepped off the path and walked towards it, his sister following right behind. “Look, this leaf is sparkling.” He gestured to a bush just inside the new section.  
  
“Ohh, can I have it?” Mabel asked, her eyes shining.  
  
Mason reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a pocketknife, cutting it off cleanly before giving it to her. “For you, dear sister.”  
  
She accepted it and smiled. “Thank you!”  
  
“Let’s go back to the path.” He suggested.  
  
“Okay!” She put the leaf in her skirt pocket and then pulled out her phone to take a picture of the area before they headed back.  
  
“I don’t see what all the fuss was about.” Mason said as they headed back to the path. “It seems perfectly safe to me. I don’t even see any dangerous wildlife.”  
  
“We saw a deer earlier.” Mabel reminded him.  
  
“Deer aren’t dangerous.” Mason chuckled.  
  
As they got back to the path and left the area, they didn’t notice eyes peeking out at them from the bushes.  
  
“Oh…she’s _beautiful_ …” A man in the bushes said dreamily.  
  
\--  
  
The town didn’t seem all that dangerous, but they promised to keep in contact anyway before going to explore it separately. For the next week, Mason went to the library to read the local lore and see if he could find any books that normal libraries didn’t carry and Mabel wandered around randomly, each day coming back with a “funny” tale of meeting different guys and playfully flirting with them when they complimented her.  
  
Mason didn’t think it was so funny, but humored her stories regardless. She knew she was above them, in all ways possible.  
  
“Friggin…fraggin…fudge pop-tarts…”  
  
Mason looked up from reading on the couch in the living room and went to the giftshop, where his uncle was working on something.  
  
“Is something the matter, great-uncle?” He asked.  
  
“Soos got a flat so he’s not back yet, and Wendy went to help him with the golf cart, but I need these nailed up.” Stan sighed, looking at signs on the counter. “Guess I gotta head into the woods and nail these up myself.”  
  
“What are they?” Mason asked.  
  
“Signs that point to the Mystery Shack. That is, if placed right.” Stan shrugged. “I figure people can use them to find their way back.”  
  
“I can do that for you.” Mason suggested. “I’ve been in and out of there a few times already, so I can place them accurately.”  
  
“You’re not hanging out with your sister today?” Stan asked.  
  
“Mabel will be fine; she has her phone and a tazer if needed.” Mason shrugged.  
  
“A tazer?” Stan raised an eyebrow. “Where is she keeping that?”  
  
“In her pocket, of course. Now, are you going to accept my generous offer to assist your work, or shall I go back to my book?” Mason turned to go.  
  
“Ahhh…well…since you offered.” Stan said awkwardly. “Just…don’t tell your dad, alright?”  
  
“I offered.” He turned back to him and walked over to take the signs. Stan handed him a hammer and a box of nails and then Mason headed out to the woods.  
  
“Hey, where _is_ Mabel, anyway?” Stan asked as he left.  
  
\--  
  
“That takes care of that one.” Mason stepped back from a tree, then picked up the next sign. “And the next one…there.” He walked over to a tree and set the sign against it, holding it and the nail in place as the other raised the hammer.  
  
CLANG. CLANG.  
  
…That was odd. Trees shouldn’t sound like metal when you hammered them. He set the sign and nail down and knocked on the tree with the hammer, once again being greeted by the sound of clanging metal.  
  
“…Intriguing.” He set the hammer down and then moved his hand over the bark until he found a slit in the wood, barely detectable. He tugged it until it opened and was greeted by a cobweb-covered switchbox. “ _Fascinating_.” He breathed, kneeling down to grab a twig and move the cobwebs away. Then he started to fidget with the mechanism, hearing a sound behind him.  
  
He looked over and saw an opening in the ground. “…What is this?” He breathed, walking over and kneeling next to it. Inside, he saw a leather-bound book with a golden picture of a six-fingered hand on the front. The number “3” indicated it was the third one of a set.  
  
Mason had always been fond of mysteries, secret codes and the Illuminati, so this town and now this book got him feeling more excited than he’d ever felt in years. He brushed cobwebs and bugs off the book and then pulled it out of the ground, opening it up. “It appears to be someone’s scientific journal.” He said as he turned the pages. “But whose?” He checked the front, but the name had been deliberately ripped out. “What a mystery.” He went back to flipping, stopping on a page. “’Unfortunately, my suspicions have been confirmed. I am being watched. I must hide this book before HE finds it. Remember, in Gravity Falls, there is no one you can trust’.” He looked up from the book. “What happened to you, mysterious author?”  
  
“What’d you find?” Mabel poked her head over his shoulder.  
  
“MAbel!” He jolted in place and she moved back, giggling.  
  
“Grunkle Stan said you were in the woods.” She said, explaining her presence. “What’d you find?”  
  
“Someone’s old scientific journal. There’s no name and a whole lot of mysterious codes I have never seen before.” He showed it to her.  
  
“Maybe we can have the handwriting examined and compare it to the national database?” Mabel shrugged. “ _Is_ there one for handwriting?”  
  
“No, not really.” Mason looked back at it. “But, it sure is fascinating, isn’t it?”  
  
“Maybe someone in town would recognize it?” Mabel suggested.  
  
“We could ask Pacifica, maybe.” Mason turned back to the page he was on when she showed up. “But, this book suggests a dark secret about this town.”  
  
“Your eyes are shining.” She pointed out.  
  
“I’m excited, Mabel. This could be the greatest mystery in existence. Maybe, if I find the other journals, I can unlock the mystery of Gravity Falls and its ties to the Illuminati.” Mason closed the book and got up. “I should finish this work, and then we can return.”  
  
“Oh, I’ll help!” She reached for the hammer and he shook his head.  
  
“Father would not be happy if your dainty hands handled such a heavy tool.” Mason reminded her.  
  
“Father…doesn’t have to know?” She smiled pleadingly.  
  
“…Ah, Mabel.” He handed her the hammer. “ _One_ sign.”  
  
“Hooray!” She hopped in place and then followed Mason to a tree to put up the sign.  
  
Once the signs were all put up, Mason picked up the book and carried it back to the Mystery Shack. They took the front door to get in and he headed up to his room to put the book under his pillow for safekeeping.  
  
“Might be a good idea to start carrying a bookbag.” He said thoughtfully.  
  
“Oh! I forgot to tell you!” Mabel sat on his bed and kicked her legs. “I got a date!”  
  
“It’s ‘I was asked on’, not ‘I got a’. Who have you been spending time with to learn such commoner speech?” He looked at her.  
  
“Wendy.” She shrugged.  
  
“Of course. And why did you accept?” Mason turned to her.  
  
“Uhm…to try something new? It’s just a date, I’m not going to be accepting any _proposals_ or anything.” She shrugged again.  
  
“Father would not approve.” He sighed. “But…I suppose, as long as I supervise, one or two dates would not be a problem. When is your date?”  
  
They heard the doorbell go off and Mabel grinned impishly. “Right now.”  
  
Mason went to get his bookbag while Mabel went to answer the door.  
  
\--  
  
“Mason, come over here!” Mabel called as Mason joined them downstairs. She was standing next to a suspicious-looking teenager in black clothes, a hood over his head.  
  
Mason raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. “Who is this?”  
  
“This is Norman, my date! We met in the cemetery.” She smiled at him adoringly.  
  
“I see. Well, Norman, I must inform you that your trysts with my sister will be heavily supervised by yours truly.” Mason said, walking over to them. “So…shall we be off?”  
  
“Uhh, sure.” Norman said awkwardly.  
  
Mabel hummed happily as they left the house together.  
  
\--  
  
By Mason’s observation, Norman was quite unfit for a dating partner. He was clumsy and awkward and didn’t articulate well at all. He acted like he was mentally impaired and when Mason texted Pacifica about him she had no idea who he was – and she knew everyone in town.  
  
When the date was finally over and they returned home, Mason waited until Mabel waved goodbye and shut the door to give his opinion on the date. “ _That_ was just _embarrassing_. We are _not ever_ mentioning him to the others.”  
  
“He wasn’t _that_ bad…” Mabel said, turning to him.  
  
“Mabel, he fell over twenty times in three hours, couldn’t open a door without smashing a window, barely held conversation with you, stumbled around like he was drunk, and he just should never be seen with you ever again.” Mason said sternly.  
  
“But—”  
  
“Mabel,” Mason crossed his arms over his chest, “that’s my final word on this. No second date.”  
  
“…Okay.” She nodded quietly.  
  
“I know that you wanted to give him a chance, that you thought he was interesting, but he acts like he’s on the first stage of becoming a zombie.” Mason turned to go. “Come on, let’s go see what’s on the menu for dinner.”  
  
Mabel pouted as she followed him.  
  
“Hey, you’re back just in time! Who likes spaghetti?” Stan turned to them from where he was cooking. “Oh boy. What happened?”  
  
“Mason found him unsuitable.” Mabel took her seat at the table.  
  
“He was an utter embarrassment to be around.” Mason took his seat. “I would not even consider him suitable for being her friend.”  
  
“Well…maybe you’re being hard on the guy, huh? Maybe he was just nervous about the whole supervision thing.” Stan shrugged.  
  
“You think I should allow another chance?” Mason asked.  
  
“Yeah, but this time…don’t be so obvious about the supervision.” Stan suggested. “Watch from a distance.”  
  
Mason looked at Mabel, who was giving him puppy eyes. “…Alright. One last chance. But I _will_ be armed.” He warned her.  
  
She nodded. “Okay.”  
  
“Text me for every location change.” Mason tapped his finger on the table pointedly. “Keep your phone on and do. Not. Hesitate. To. Use. Your. Tazer.” He tapped the table for each word for emphasis. “And if I call you and tell you to come back with me, you _come_. Understood?”  
  
“Understood!” She nodded happily.  
  
He smiled. “The things I do for your smile, dear sister.”  
  
She giggled.  
  
Stan brought over their food. “Parmesan?” He held up the bottle.  
  
“Yes.” Mason nodded.  
  
“Yes, please.” Mabel smiled.  
  
Stan poured it on their food and then on his own. “Besides, Norman’s not a local, so he’ll probably be leaving soon. Let her hang out with him while he’s here.”  
  
Mason nodded, forking his food and then quietly chewing it.

\--

  
“Wendy, how long have you lived here?” Mason asked as she washed him up for the day.  
  
“Uh, my whole _life_ , dude. Can’t wait to move out when I’m an adult.” Wendy carefully scrubbed his body. “Why?”  
  
“Why is one part of the woods different from the rest?” He raised his arms so she could scrub under them.  
  
“I don’t actually know. That’s the part of the woods we’re all told not to go near.” She shrugged. “Supposedly, _monsters_ live in that part of the woods.”  
  
“Monsters? Do you believe in that sort of thing, Wendy?” Mason asked, moving his hands up to cover his face when she started to lather his hair.  
  
“Nah, it’s all just fairytales and legends. Things to tell little kids so they don’t disobey. ‘Eat your peas or the fairies will steal you away in the night’! ‘Don’t be out late or the vampires’ll get ya’!”  
  
Mason chuckled under his hands. “Vampires, really?”  
  
“Like I said, it’s all bunk. Just scary stories about the bump in the night.” She rinsed out his hair with a bucket.  
  
“What do you know of a scientist with six fingers?” Mason asked.  
  
“No idea. I’d say to ask my dad, but he’s been having some troubles with his memory. Oh, that desk is done, by the way. It’ll be delivered today.”  
  
“Finally.” He moved his hands. “What do you mean ‘troubles with his memory’? Is he going senile? At his age?”  
  
“Dunno. Hope not.” Wendy pulled the plug and got up to get a towel. “Alright, short-stuff. Let’s get you dried up and dressed.”  
  
“I still do not like that you’re using unsolicited nicknames on me.” Mason frowned.  
  
“Hey, you paid for my hands, not my tongue.” She stuck out her tongue.  
  
“Do you not feel, even the _slightest_ , that you are overly familiar?” Mason asked as he was lifted out of the tub and dried off with a towel.  
  
“Do you not feel, even the slightest, that things are different here?” Wendy smirked. “You’re practically family, dude. Get used to it.”  
  
“…Is that how you view Great-Uncle Stan?” Mason asked thoughtfully.  
  
“He’s like a funky uncle.” She shrugged. “He’s crotchety, but he really does care about us kids. He’s just old and not sure how to show it.” She grinned. “He’s trying, though.”  
  
Mason nodded, then watched her go to get his clothes. “Is that why you work for him?”  
  
“Well, that and it’s better than being sent to a logging camp.” Wendy shrugged.  
  
“That would be a shame. I do enjoy your presence here.” Mason admitted.  
  
“Aw, I like you too, kid.” She rubbed his head and then removed the towels to get him dressed.  
  
\--  
  
After eating breakfast with Stan, Soos, and Wendy, Mabel went out with Norman again to hang out behind the Shack while Mason settled into the cushioned window that looked out at them, Journal 3 in his lap as he distractedly read it.  
  
“Gnomes?” He murmured. “Yeah, right. Gnomes aren’t real, they’re just…fictional things that garden statues are made to look like.”  
  
Still, the book was full of many scientific entries on creatures that, by all facts and logic, shouldn’t exist.   
  
“If people mistake zombies for teenagers, then they got a real problem with teenagers being sluggish and unproductive.” He remarked, then looked out the window at his sister and her date. “Zombies, hm…” He closed the book and got up, heading to his room.  
  
Just in case, he should make sure he’s armed with something a little more suitable for fighting zombies. He came back to find they’d left and bit back a curse before he pulled out his phone and checked a text from Mabel.  
  
 **[Mabel: Going to the pretty woods! You know the ones.]**  
  
“Of course.” He muttered, heading out to catch up to them.  
  
\--  
  
“I heard it’s dangerous in here.” Mabel said as she walked with Norman into the colorful woods. She paused to admire a flower that looked like stained glass.  
  
“Dangerous? Uhh…no, not dangerous.” The teenager said, adjusting his hood a bit. “Look, there’s something I need to tell you, Mabel. I mean, before we go any further.”  
  
Mabel fiddled with her braid. “Oh, well, we actually _can’t_ go fur—”  
  
“Mabel! I have _such_ feelings for you, that I--” He turned to her, then gasped as he stumbled forward and fell against her. “Whoa!”  
  
“Ahh!” Mabel cried out as she was knocked down into the grass. To her surprise, Norman started to…fall apart? She watched in growing confusion as “Norman” turned out to be…several little, bearded men and a bunch of human body-parts. “Uhm…?”  
  
“Okay…uhm…right.” The leader brushed himself off. “Sorry about that. Heh. I’d help you out, but…”  
  
Mabel looked at the body parts. “…We met in the _cemetery_.” She said in realization. “You were collecting body parts for your disguise!”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, that’s why. Okay, first, we’re gnomes. Get that out of the way. Phew.” The leader stepped towards her as she got up. “I’m Jeff, and this is Carson, Steven, Jason, and…what was it?” He looked at one of the other gnomes.  
  
“Schmebulock.” The dazed gnome replied.  
  
“Schembulock! That was it!” Jeff snapped his fingers, then looked back at Mabel. “Anyways, long story short, we saw you the other day and you are _perfect_ for our new queen!”  
  
“Do you…a _lways_ take humans for your queens?” She asked, still trying to process what was going on.  
  
“Well…no, not normally. But, we can make an exception for you!” Jeff assured her.  
  
“Uhm…but, are you actually royalty?” Mabel asked.  
  
“Oh, well, when we say ‘queen’, we actually mean in the sense of, like, bees and stuff. You’d be marrying all one-thousand of us gnomes and living in the forest, never to return to the human world again!” He declared cheerfully.  
  
“Well…in that case, I will have to politely decline.” She turned to go.  
  
“We’re really sorry to hear that. We’ll never forget you, Mabel.” Jeff said behind her.  
  
“That’s sweet, but let’s just put this behind us.” She said, heading for the path.  
  
“Because we’re going to kidnap you.”  
  
She stopped short and let out a scream as gnomes lunged at her from the treeline.  
  
\--  
  
Mason heard her scream and ran deeper into the woods, stopping short when he found the colorful part of the woods, Mabel being restrained on the ground by vines and… ”Gnomes.” He muttered.  
  
“The more you struggle, the more awkward this is going to be for everybody!” The ringleader said as Mason slowly walked up behind him. “Just, ha, just get her arm there, Steve.”  
  
“Let GO of me!” Mabel punched Steve and he fell back with a groan before puking out a rainbow.  
  
“Come on, honey, it’s not _that_ —ahh, what’s got me?!” Jeff cried out as he was lifted into the air from behind. Cold metal pressed against the back of his head and he swallowed nervously. “Ah…heh…”  
  
“Mason!” Mabel cried with delight.  
  
“Well, now. What do we have here?” Mason asked as Jeff heard something click behind his head.  
  
“Oh, uh, this is just a big misunderstanding! You see, your sister’s not in danger! She’s just going to marry all one-thousand of us and live in the forest with us fore—”  
  
“You have until I get to _five_ to make them _let her go_ before I **_blow your pathetic little brains out_**. One.”  
  
“Uh, hold on.” Jeff swallowed.  
  
“Two.” Mason continued.  
  
“Can’t we talk about this?!”  
  
“Three.” Mason went on.  
  
Mabel punched another gnome.  
  
“I didn’t even KNOW you had a—” Jeff started.  
  
“Four.” Mason growled.  
  
“Let her go, guys!” Jeff screeched.  
  
The gnomes quickly let her go and untied her and Mason dropped Jeff to the forest floor before aiming his gun down at him. “If you EVER come near my sister again, I will _shoot_ you before you can say ‘Mabel’. Is that clear?”  
  
“C-Clear! Crystal clear!” Jeff said, stepping back.  
  
Mason walked over and offered Mabel a hand up, which she took before standing up and hugging him tightly. Then he led her back to the path, his gun still trained on Jeff.  
  
“He wasn’t even _human_ , much less anything of _worth_.” Mabel sighed.  
  
Mason turned the safety on and put the gun back in his bookbag before leading her through the forest. “Did you enjoy yourself, though?”  
  
“I _did_ , up until he fell apart and turned out to be gnomes in a human disguise that tried to force me to be their _gnome queen_ and have their _gnome babies_. I mean, _gross_.” She made a face.  
  
“Let’s return to the Mystery Shack and get something warm to drink.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and she wrapped hers around his shoulders before they bumped heads and then switched to just holding hands as they walked on.  
  
“So…gnomes are real.” She commented.  
  
“It seems so.” He nodded.  
  
“I wonder what _else_ is real? Do you think we’ll meet a _vampire_?” She gasped.  
  
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Let us hope we do not.”  
  
She giggled. “But, he might be rich!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new discovery, and new mysteries to solve! Can Mason solve them before the summer is over?

**Author's Note:**

> Can Gravity Falls handle these rich twins?


End file.
